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The Contextual Model of Learning (Falk & Dierking, 2000) has been used in the museum scholarship as a major theoretical construct for examining and investigating learning within free-choice environments, such as museums and other public learning institutions. The Model is widely considered to be centerpiece for helping understand why and how people learn, as well as what they may take away from each learning experience. The Contextual Model of Learning can be better understood as a framework rather than a model because it does not aim to make predictions about the course of learning or its outcomes.

Falk and Dierking (2000) conceptualize learning as a conscious continuous effort of an individual to make meaning of the world around them. This effort takes place in a particular physical and sociocultural environment. The interaction between the individual and the environment is always situated within a set of contexts. Drawing from a number of constructivist, cognitive, and sociocultural theories, Falk and Dierking (2008) portray learning as both the process and the product of the interactions over time between three contexts: the personal, the sociocultural, and the physical. Although in theory these contexts can be separated into three distinct entities, in reality they are always intertwined and connected with each other. Thus, the three contexts allow one to consider learning as a holistic experience.

Personal context

The personal context is represented by a learner’s motivation and expectations, previously-developed interests, prior knowledge and experience with the subject-matter, as well as the choice and control over what is to be learned and in which way. If personal expectations are met, then learning is facilitated and the visitor feels motivated to learn even more. On the other hand, if the visitor’s initial motivations are not fulfilled during the visit, then learning takes place to a much lesser extent or does not happen at all.

Importantly, differences in visitor personal context help anticipate many of the differences in visitor behaviors and learning styles. Given that the ultimate goal of learning is meaning-making, the meaning is naturally unique for each individual so that they tend to define their own learning experiences that may best help to fulfill particular learning needs. Falk and Dierking (2000) conclude that museum learning is personal in nature because it is constructed around and determined by each visitor’s personal

background, and those backgrounds vary greatly across groups of visitors or even within the same group.

Sociocultural context

However, the personal context alone cannot fully explain the unique nature of each museum visitor experience. The sociocultural context must also be taken into consideration because each visitor’s perspective is strongly influenced by it. The

sociocultural context recognizes the social nature of human beings. In this context, people are viewed as integral parts of their culture and society. As typical free-choice learning settings, museums provide a fertile ground for individualized perception, interpretation, and knowledge construction. However, museum visitation does not take place in a

vacuum, so that visitors are presented with numerous opportunities to share their experiences and form social bonds in the process.

The sociocultural context of a museum visit covers the social interaction between the visitor and his or her immediate companions, as well as other visitors and even museum staff during the visit. Therefore, the sociocultural context consists of the

following essential parts: learner cultural background, within group social mediation, and mediation by others outside the immediate social group. Simply put, the sociocultural context implies that learners are deeply influenced by the collaborations and interactions they have within their social group. The sociocultural context may refer to people with whom the learner primarily interacts, as well as those he or she may encounter during the learning process. These instances of socialization include interactions not only within groups but also between learners, and learners and staff. Research (Falk & Dierking, 2012) has demonstrated that interactions with others outside one’s own social group, such as facilitators, performers, or other social groups, can make a substantial difference for the effectiveness of learning.

Physical context

Finally, the physical context describes the physical environment in which learning occurs, such as advanced organizers (supervisors), orientation to physical space, building architecture and the overall environment, as well as programming and technology

available to learners. Since learners are influenced by the physical design, a stable physical context is particularly important for the learning process. In general, searching for meaning and making sense of the environment are deeply ingrained in the human nature. Therefore, people tend to learn better when they feel secure and oriented in their

surroundings. Additionally, the physical context may extend beyond the building walls, and learning may or should continue after the actual experience is completed. The acquired information is further processed in the learner’s consciousness as it is enriched and made more meaningful after the learning experience by the contexts outside the original setting.

In Learning from Museums: Visitor Experience and the Making of Meaning, Falk and Dierking (2008) summarize the Contextual Model of Learning as a combination of the following factors: the personal context that consists of (1) visit motivation and expectations; (2) prior knowledge and experience; (3) Prior interests; and (4) choice and control. The sociocultural context consists of (1) visitor cultural background; (2) within group social mediation; and (3) mediation by others outside the immediate social group. The physical context consists of (1) advanced organizers and orientation to physical space; (2) building architecture and the overall environment; (3) programming and

technology available in the museum; and (4) reinforcing experiences outside the museum.

Learning is an active and individual process that must take place in an engaging and safe environment. More specifically, learning is affected by the environment in which it takes place, by an individual’s personal experiences, and by the sociocultural sphere. As a result, the three-dimensional nature of the Contextual Model of Learning is highly usable in the practice of cultural institutions, particularly museums. The Model helps to understand the museum experience from the visitor’s perspective. Since the museum experience is inherently about learning and cognition, the Contextual Model of Learning provides museums with a better understanding of how museum visitors make sense of their experiences. Given the growing diversity of present-day museum visitors,

understanding why they decide to go to a museum, what they do there, and what they take away presents a considerable challenge. It is the Contextual Model of Learning that helps clarify the obscurity around the visitor experience by analyzing numerous factors or variables that contribute to visitor behavior and learning in the museum setting.